Bill Federer serves up a daily dose of inspiration from the pages of American history with a special emphasis on America’s Judeo-Christian heritage.
John Marshall born SEPTEMBER 24, 1755
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"The power to tax involves the power to destroy," wrote Chief Justice John Marshall, McCulloch v. Maryland, 1819.
Perhaps no one...
John Paul Jones – “Father of the American Navy”
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"I have not yet begun to fight!" shouted John Paul Jones when the captain of the 50-gun British frigate HMS...
Nathan Hale was hanged SEPTEMBER 22, 1776
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"I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country" were the last words of 21-year-old...
Oaths and the Constitution
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Chief Justice James Kent explained in People v. Ruggles, 1811, what made OATHS effective:
"In Taylor's case ... the court ......
Fisher Ames helped ratify the Constitution
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He sat next to George Washington in the pew at St. Paul's Chapel in New York during the religious service...
President Washington’s Farewell Address
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The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolken describes man's insatiable lust for "the Ring of Power," as Gandalf exclaimed:
"Always...
John Langdon died SEPTEMBER 18, 1819
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John Langdon was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in 1741 and grew up as a member of the North Congregational...
Emerson, “America is another name for opportunity…”
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"Done ... the SEVENTEENTH DAY of SEPTEMBER, in the year of our LORD one thousand seven hundred and eighty seven."
This...
Pilgrims, Mayflower and God
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SEPTEMBER 16, 1620, according to the Gregorian Calendar, 102 passengers set sail on the Pilgrims' ship, Mayflower, with the blessings...
William Howard Taft born SEPTEMBER 15, 1857
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He was the only U.S. President to be appointed Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.
His name was William Howard...
Harvard’s purpose – “To train a literate clergy”
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John Harvard's grandfather lived in Stratford-upon-Avon and was an associate of Shakespeare's father.
His father was a butcher and owner of...
The Battle of Fort McHenry
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On SEPTEMBER 13, 1814, just weeks after they burned the U.S. Capitol, British forces attacked Baltimore, Maryland -- the third...
Thomas McIntyre Cooley died SEPTEMBER 12, 1898
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The dean of the University of Michigan Law School was Thomas McIntyre Cooley, who died SEPTEMBER 12, 1898.
Thomas M. Cooley...
On this day – SEPTEMBER 11
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SEPTEMBER 11, 1565:
Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent dominated the Mediterranean, with intentions of not only invading Sicily, Sardinia, Majorca, and southern...
Joseph Story died SEPTEMBER 10, 1845
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His father was a Boston Tea Party "Indian."
He graduated second in his class from Harvard, was a U.S. Representative, then...
California – the 31st State SEPTEMBER 9, 1850
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In 1535, Hernán Cortés explored the Baja California Peninsula, sailing the Sea of Cortés and founding the city of La...
Day of Prayer and Remembrance SEPTEMBER 8, 2005
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Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians in 587 BC on the date in the Jewish calendar 9th...
Mother Teresa’s influence and faith
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The area of Albania had controlled by the Roman Empire since the 3rd century, along with Macedonia, Dalmatia, Serbia, and...
Assyria was the world’s first empire
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Did you know Assyria was the world's first empire?
It was located in what is today Syria and Iraq.
It was mentioned...
Mohammedanism was based on Arab nationalism
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Constantinople was the capital of the eastern Roman Christian world since Emperor Constantine in 330 AD.
It was conquered by the...
Lessons from the fall of the Roman Empire
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THE FALL OF ROME was a culmination of external and internal factors.
GREAT WALL OF CHINA
By 220AD, the Later Eastern Han...
The Istanbul riot – Septemeber 3, 1955
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Constantinople was the capital of the eastern Roman Christian world since Emperor Constantine in 330 AD.
It was conquered by the...
Japan surrendered SEPTEMBER 2, 1945
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Imperial Japan's emperor claimed to be an incarnate divinity who was to be obeyed completely. It was forbidden for his...
May, “Truth and Justice, Religion and Piety, prevail…”
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First Prayer in Congress "It was enough" says Mr. Adams, "to melt a heart of stone."
The First Session of the...
John Bunyan’s – The Pilgrim’s Progress
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He was imprisoned 12 years for preaching without a license from the government.
This was John Bunyan, who died AUGUST 31,...
Enemies foreign and domestic
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In July of 1775, General Washington appointed Dr. Benjamin Church as the first surgeon general of the Continental Army.
Three months...
A “Talk” to the Cherokee Nation
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The Pulitzer Prize winning book Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies, written by Jared Diamond (1997), documented...
“I have a dream …”
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"I have a dream ... where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little...
The Battle of Brooklyn Heights
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King George III's British army was forced to evacuate Boston.
They headed to New York.
General George Washington responded by moving American...
19th Amendment passed AUGUST 26, 1920
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Six thousands years of humans writing down history reveal the most common form of government has been a monarchy.
The most...